Henry g



(No Model.)

H. G.,0NEILL. i ELECTRIC ROBE, TOWEL, &c., FOR HEATING. No. 530,053.

Patented Nov. 27, 1894.

. I- TFII bw u. O c l L mpv .w U j i v /WH c 1 UNITED STATES PATENT 1 OFFICE.

HENRY e. oNEiLL, or Eos'roN,MASSACHUSETTS, AssicNoE or ONE-HALE 'ro EDWARD JEWELL, on SAME PLAGE.

ELi-:CTRic Ross, rowl'zngaw., Foa HEATING.'

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 530,053, dated November 27, 1 89'4,

Application tiled April 9, 18941 To a/ZZ whom it may concern.-

t 103e it known that I, HENRY G. ONEILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bosf ton, in the county of Suffolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Robes, Towels, and other Fabrics; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and enact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and -use tlievsanie.

The chief object of this invention is to provide simple, cheap and effective means for. creatinglocal heat in the'hnman body,tlirough the medium of electrically heated fabrics, for the treatment of cases in hospitals and sick rooms, especially when congestive symptoms or others requiring heat become apparent, or when defective circulation makes such application of: a heat-producing agency desirable.

Tontliis end, and `for toilet and other uses requiring heat, my invention consists chieliy in a flexible robe, towel, bandage or other article of -fabric provided with electrical heating devices and adapted to be appliedto the human bo y.l

The said invention further consists more particularly in the particular construction and combination of parts constituting the said electrically heated articles substantially as set -iiorth.

In the accompanying drawings', Figure l represents a View partly broken away of a bag of toweling containing my electrical heating device. Figi 2 represents a similar view \of\the bag open, not broken away, and without the said device. Fig. -represents a detail view of the electric heating device and of the sheet of fabric to which it is attached; and Eig. 4; represents a section through the resistance wire and its wrappings.

A designates an 'electrical conductor preferably of wire and forming part of a circuit, out alording sufficient -resistanceto develop the required degree of heat, a sutlciently strong currentbeingemployed. This resistance A is provided with an insulated coating a preferably of asbestos braidedthereon and may have an exterior vwater proof insulating covering a. lf combustible material, such Serial No. 506,878. (No model.)

as silk or cotton, lle used for the coating a, it should be treated with some fire proof composition. Any other suitable water-proof material may be substituted for the rubberin the coating a', for example oxidized liriseed oil when the temperature does not exceed 20()o Fahrenheit; and this water proof material, whether rubber or anything. else, may be applied in any known and convenient way or any way that may yet be discovered, and either in liquid orsolid forrn. Extra cov` ering of silk or other material may ot' course be added. The resistance thus insulated and practically fire and water pro'ol, so far as the circumstances of its purpose and use are concerned, is attached to a body B of cotton,`silk or other flexible material adapted in size and forni to its specific end, that is to say for use as a robe, towel, bandage or whatever else it may be.-Y When .it is meant for a towel, l usev a body of light duck or. other suitable woven lfabric, and secure the Vresistance thereto,

preferablyin undulating or zigzaglines as shown by incasing the resistance and wrapvpings in a piping or their jacket e, which is stitched to the said flexible body B; or this piping may be dispensed with and the said conductor A may be attached to the said flexif ble .body B by crossstitching or in any other convenient way. f

The terminals A A201? the resistance pass out near thesame point for convenience sake and are at that point firmly secured to the body B, beingreinforced by additional coverings a?. These terminals, outside of the said coverings are provided with a common jacket aS and terminate in a plug B', which is used to close the circuit. 'lo regulate the heating eect, a rheostat may of course he employed, but I prefer to use for the same purpose a branch conductor C, extending from a'point `on the resistance wire ILA, which allowsyagood part of the said resistance to be cut out ofcircnit at will, thus proportionately reducing the heating effect. 0f course the plug B is not at all essential. Any suitable circuit-closing means inay be employed.

The body B and resistance A are inclosed in a bag 'D oftsoft towelingwhich is open at one end d to receive them, said end closing at will by b-uttonin'g a iiap D', the body being then secured to said bag or case D by buttons b and button-holes d on these respectlveparts;oranyotherconvenientmethod o ftfasteninginay be adopted. .These'fasten- .ings hold the body B and heating resistance 1n place, but allow them to be readily withdrawn and changed when occasion arises; and the exterior bag or case D as soiled may Ialso be removedfleaving the said 'body neat and clean. Both of these parts B and D being ilexible make up a towel .which is ca'- pable of use like any other; and the current o t electricity iu passing through the said resista'nce will endow the said towel with a. pleaslng and beneficial warmth' as it is apt "plied to the skin.

Ot course when a;robe, bandage, or other article is made in a'ccordance with this invention, the form of the interior body and outside case, as well as the materials'of both,

must be varied accordingly.

No electro-therapeutic agency is claimed, the invention being intended'onl'y as a heat applying device especially available for sur. ,gical and toilet purposes, thonghcapable of y use with exible articles generally.

. Having thus described `my i'nven'tion, what I claim as new; and desise to secure byLetters Patent, is- I 1. A towel, robe, or other article of lflexible fabric provided with a dexible resistance contained within the same, the said resistance having water-proof and tireproof Acoatings 4and being adapted to connect with the conductors of an electrical circuit substantially as set forth. 2. In a towel,`robe, or other article of ekible fabric an exterior bag or "casing in combinationv with a sheet adapted to b'e inserted within andremoved from the same'and a flexible resistance amtached to the said sheet -human form, a banch conductor by which n ioie or less of the -said resistance may be cnt out of circuit atfwill substantially7 vas set forth. 7 In testimony whereof Ilax my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY G.- ONEILL. LL. 5.] Witnesses: j'

PELATIAH R. TRIPP, CARL. F. 0.P1EDH0F. 

